In Marriage Matters, Janice Shaw Crouse argues that marriage is a critical element in a free society and that society's most vulnerable communities, especially minorities and the poor, suffer the most from the nation's retreat from marriage. Crouse writes that marriage advances the public interest and we should create laws and policies that support rather than undermine it. She demonstrates both the public and private importance of marriage, and organizes her argument in a thoughtful and logical manner.

Compared to other household arrangements, Crouse observes, marriage...

In Marriage Matters, Janice Shaw Crouse argues that marriage is a critical element in a free society and that society's most vulnerable communities, especially minorities and the poor, suffer the most from the retreat from marriage. Because marriage advances the public interest, we should create laws and policies that support rather than undermine it. Crouse demonstrates both the public and private importance of marriage, and organizes her argument in a thoughtful and logical manner.

Crouse argues that marriage is by far the best family unit for raising children, and shows...